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By Greg Hammond, CFP®, CPA Generational disconnect or differences exist in all families. Every generation develops its own style of expression, methods for handling conflict, and values. Even tech-savvy parents are likely to feel that virtual connecting and 24/7 technology lacks sufficient depth to replace face-to-face conversation. Kids, on the other hand, feel that Mom and Dad just don’t get it and can barely turn

People sometimes think they should stop or reduce their charitable giving when they retire. There are many things to take into account when developing your retirement lifestyle plan. Among those considerations, you may take pride in helping organizations and causes near and dear to your heart, and want to continue your charitable giving throughout retirement.

Generosity is a mindset and a way of life. It’s about far more than just giving money, and it is a great tool to teach younger generations about legacy. Growing up, my father and I never really discussed being generous, but he showed me in so many small ways that it has become his living legacy―and now, I am making it my life’s work to share the message. It seems that lessons learned best are lessons pra

Today’s culture tells us we need a lot of money to live a happy and successful life. Sure, having enough money to meet our basic needs increases happiness, but more money won’t turn an unhappy life into a happy one. Consider that the United States is nearly three times as rich today as it was in 1970, but according to most surveys, Americans were just as happy then as they are now.

Legacy planning can be a win-win for everyone—it strengthens relationships and allows a person’s values to accompany the wealth he or she passes on to heirs or gives to charity. In this way, legacy planning is much more than a business transaction, and reaches beyond mere tax savings. We believe there are at least three basic, yet distinct steps in legacy planning:

Although corporate stock inversions have come under fire lately, U.S. based multinational companies continue to announce inversion plans. In an inversion transaction, the shareholders of the U.S. Corporation must exchange their shares for shares of the foreign parent corporation. Although the stock inversion transaction qualifies as a tax-free reorganization that imposes no tax on the U.S. Corporation, this exchange

When planning for tax-qualified plans such as IRAs, 401(k)s and qualified retirement plans, you should carefully examine the potential taxes that impact these assets. Unlike most other assets that receive a “basis step-up” to current fair market value upon the owner’s death, IRAs, 401(k)s and other qualified retirement plans do not step-up to the date-of-death value.

How Financial Professionals Can Get In The Way: Many advisors unwittingly (or in some cases, not so unwittingly) tap into or add to people’s already existing fears. They don’t explain the difference between voluntary and involuntary philanthropy. When people regularly respond, “Well, no, we’ll need that money for us and the kids,” many financial professionals conclude that the conversation is over. Additionally, the

In the world of financial professionals, a major obstacle to getting people to do more is, unfortunately, the professionals themselves. Frequently, professionals such as attorneys, investment advisors, insurance professionals, and accountants tell us their clients aren’t interested in charitable giving but instead want to minimize taxes and maximize the wealth that their family and heirs will receive.

Many people spend more time and care planning their vacations than they spend on their financial and estate planning. They pore over travel guides and find the best rates online, all in anticipation of a week or two in their future. Probably because of our human impulses, planning for short-term fun can trump long-term gain. With the future uncertain, risks to be managed, a retirement for which we fear we may not hav